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Colin Donnell to return as Dr. Connor Rhodes in two Chicago Med season 12 episodes

Colin Donnell will reprise Dr. Connor Rhodes in two episodes of Chicago Med's twelfth season, starting with the December 9 fall finale. It is his first appearance since leaving at the start of season 5.

2 outlets · 0L · 2C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: Screen Rant
Image: TVLine

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The story, neutrally told

Centre · 2Colin Donnell will return to NBC's Chicago Med as Dr. Connor Rhodes for two episodes of season 12, according to People, which broke the news and which TVLine says it has confirmed. Centre · 2His first appearance is set for the season 12 fall finale, airing Wednesday, December 9 at 8/7c. Centre · 2In that episode Rhodes returns to Gaffney at the request of Sharon Goodwin (S. Epatha Merkerson) to help a young heart patient who needs a complicated, risky surgery.

Centre · 2It will be Donnell's first Chicago Med appearance since he left in the season 5 premiere, after Connor learned that his ex-girlfriend Ava Bekker (Norma Kuhling) had killed his father and Ava took her own life; Connor then left Chicago for a fresh start. Centre · 1Showrunner Allen MacDonald said in a statement that bringing Connor back to Gaffney Chicago Medical Center had been "an absolute priority" since he joined the show, and that "Both Colin and Connor have been missed." Centre · 2Season 12 premiered on October 7 and airs Wednesdays at 8 PM ET; in the premiere, Goodwin, on voluntary leave over an accusation of leaking Dr. Rabari's medical file, learned from nurse Doris (Lorena Diaz) that Doris was responsible for the leak.

Centre · 1Screen Rant notes that several other cast members, including Brian Tee, Yaya DaCosta and Nick Gehlfuss, have recently stepped away from the show to varying degrees; it also lists Donnell's later credits, including FBI: International, Zero Day and a Broadway run in Ragtime.

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.

Left0 outlets

No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.

Centre2 outlets

Framing
Both entertainment outlets report the casting news as a nostalgic return, relying on People's scoop and recapping Rhodes' dark exit.
Emphasis
Screen Rant stresses the long absence and the wave of recent cast departures; TVLine stresses MacDonald's statement and season 12 premiere plot developments.
Leaves out or plays down
Screen Rant does not quote the showrunner's statement in full and does not mention the premiere's Doris reveal; TVLine does not list Donnell's later credits.
Charged language
“shocking and deadly departure”“blast from Gaffney's past”
For example
“guesting in a pair of upcoming episodes after a shocking and deadly departure.” — Screen Rant
“"Chicago Med" will get a blast from Gaffney's past this fall.” — TVLine

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.